


Closeness

by Kalira



Series: Sheith Month 2017 [16]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Daemon Touching, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Missing/Expanded Scenes, Oblivious, Sheith Month 2017, bad idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-14 18:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: Shiro and Keith's daemons know better than they do. Fortunately, eventually they catch up.





	Closeness

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 16 of [Sheith Month](http://sheithmonth.tumblr.com/): Bad Idea.
> 
> This is actually my first daemon AU! It was fun to write, and most of the trickiness came from Shiro (and Keith), not the AU itself. XD

Aching all over, Shiro felt lost and confused when he opened his eyes, but that was nothing new. He was more thrown by the fact that he was . . . lying on something soft. Warm and plush and comfortable.

He startled away from a viciously-fanged creature that leaned over him, pressing back into the soft surface. He blinked, frowning. It was a powerfully-built tawny-red cat, black tufted ears twitching.

“Keith! He’s awake!” she called, then leaned closer. “It’s all right, Shiro,” Arvenne - it _must_ be Arvenne - said softly, with a little purr, “we’ve got you now.” She pressed her nose to his cheek, then licked him delicately, and Shiro whimpered, shocked at the contact. It left him buzzing with heat and sharp relief.

“Shiro!” Keith leaned over him and Arvenne ceded her place to her other half.

Shiro suddenly remembered, through the haze of whatever they had drugged him with and the dizziness and rush remaining from his crash. Keith appearing, fighting, leaning over him in the Galaxy Garrison’s mobile unit where they’d _strapped him down_.

“Keith.” He coughed weakly, wincing, and Keith slipped a hand behind his head, helping him sit up a little and drink from an offered glass of cool water. Arvenne paced the bed beside his right thigh, and Shiro realised he was _in_ a bed, for the first time in. . . Who knew how long. Arvenne seated herself neatly near his hip. “Lena?” he whispered, suddenly terrified.

“She’s here.” Arvenne soothed immediately, and Shiro teared up.

Keith put the glass of water down and wrapped himself around Shiro supportively. “She’s still out, but she’s breathing okay, and she was awake for a few minutes when I got you back here.” he offered, resting his cheek against Shiro’s brow. “We’ve got you. You’re safe with me.” he promised.

Shiro wrapped an arm around Keith, trembling, and looked for Lena.

“There, Shiro.” Keith nudged gently, directing his attention to the floor beside the bed, where there was a nest of blankets and cushions made up around Lena, half sprawled out and half curled neatly into herself. She was battered and thinner than she should be, her creamy fur was _filthy_ and badly needed brushing to boot, but she was safe and at his side. “There wasn’t room on the bed with you.” Keith murmured.

Shiro nodded, pressing his lips together and turning his face into Keith’s shoulder.

Keith rocked him gently, petting the back of his head - very like the way, Shiro realised, he had seen Keith stroke Arvenne after a confrontation in the dorms. The firm press of small paws on his legs as Arvenne walked up over his legs added to that was just a nudge too far for him, and Shiro clung to Keith as his emotions proved too much and he started to cry.

“I’m sorry.” he choked out as his tears soaked into Keith’s shirt.

“Don’t be.” Arvenne said softly and began to purr, curling up on his lap, a heavy, warm bundle through the blankets. “We’ve got you now.” She purred a little louder, slipping into a snarl. “And _no one_ will take you without going through us.”

Arvenne was less than half Lena’s size, and she was curled up tight now, making herself even smaller in his lap as she leaned into Keith’s side like a snuggly kitten. Shiro was still _utterly convinced_ she was fiercer and possibly more terrifying than any other daemon he’d ever seen. He’d once watched her force a mastiff daemon belonging to one of the TAs to back down, whimpering, while Keith argued with the TA over the make-up work he’d turned in - and then seen her stalk off to leap to her favoured perch around Keith’s shoulders, where she lounged like a pampered and lazy housecat instead of maybe twenty kilos of aggressive predator.

Shiro sniffled and Arvenne gently butted her head against his ribs as Keith tightened his arms around Shiro’s shoulders. “It’s all right now, Shiro.” Keith said softly, leaning his head against Shiro’s. “You’re safe with us.”

Shiro’s whole face felt hot with crying, and he clung a little tighter. He had to hold himself back from reaching to rest a hand on Arvenne as well, she was so close and offering herself as comfort and there had been no one but Lena for so long. . .

“Thank you.” Lena said quietly, and Shiro’s breath caught. He tilted his head enough to see her, front paws and upper body on the bed. She stretched out her muzzle and gently licked Arvenne’s face, and Arvenne, generally even more aloof with other daemons than Keith was with their humans, allowed it and even rubbed her cheek proprietarily against Lena’s muzzle in return.

“We’ll always come for you.” Arvenne said with a soft, matter-of-fact tone. “No matter who takes you or where you go. No matter what we have to do to get to you.”

Shiro put a hand on Lena’s head, stroking back over her ears and coming to rest on her shoulders. She nudged into it, her tail wagging weakly.

Keith ran his fingers through Shiro’s hair, pushing back his forelock.

Shiro caught his breath. “I- We should get up.” he said, his mind still sparking with the warnings he remembered, and the fear of being strapped down again, and-

“Take as long as you need.” Keith urged, cupping his face, eyes soft and sincere.

“We don’t have much time. . .” Shiro began, and Keith hushed him gently.

“We have enough time for you to rest, at least for a while.” Keith said firmly, wrapping one arm around Shiro’s shoulders again.

Arvenne rested a paw on Lena’s neck and settled her chin on top of Lena’s head, backing up the words of her other half.

Shiro surrendered to their insistence, especially as Lena showed no signs of wanting to move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You should not be awake.”

Shiro jumped, freezing midway through a push-up. Arvenne was slinking through his door, watching him. Lena raised her head and woofed softly in welcome from beside the bed, tail thumping the floor.

“What are _you_ doing, wandering here?” Shiro asked, looking beyond Arvenne, but she slunk inside and the doors closed, no sign of Keith.

Arvenne froze, her ears twitching. “Exploring. Checking on everyone.” She slid a glance to Lena, who perked her ears but said nothing.

“Where is Keith?” Shiro asked warily.

Arvenne sighed and sat down. “Asleep. Or, well. Trying. We can’t get comfortable here.” she admitted, her fur bristling and then smoothing down again.

“Keith is in his room and you are _here_?” Shiro asked, shocked, without thinking. Keith’s room wasn’t far from Shiro’s - at least, not by the standards of the Castle of Lions; it was down two full corridors. _Far_ too far for a daemon to roam without pain or. . .

Lena rose and paced over to Arvenne as her ears folded back and her tail lashed. Lena licked the top of her head, then lay down beside her, muzzle resting lightly over her shoulders. “They can be farther from each other than many of us can.” Lena said softly, with a chiding look for Shiro. “But many,” Lena growled quietly, “don’t accept bonds that are different, so Arvenne has always stayed close when note may be taken of it.”

“I’m sorry.” Shiro said quickly. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Arvenne flicked an ear, but her sharp grey-violet gaze softened slightly and she butted her head against Lena’s jaw, and Shiro suspected he’d been forgiven.

“You should rest.” Arvenne said, climbing back to her paws, slinking easily from beneath Lena’s head, out of the curl of Lena’s body. “We are safe here . . . at least for now.”

“I’ll try.” Shiro promised, and Lena tilted her head to nuzzle Arvenne’s chin. Arvenne mewed, returning the gentle nuzzle - Shiro could feel a warm blush of sensation from the caress blooming in his chest - and favouring Shiro with a last glance before turning and sauntering out of his room again, back down the corridor outside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A light tapping at his door startled Shiro. He looked at Lena, and she got to her feet, but only flicked her ears back and then forward again. She had no more idea than he.

Shiro opened the door to find Keith waiting on the other side, Arvenne wrapped around his shoulders. “Hey.” Shiro said, looking his friend up and down. “Rough day today, huh?” he asked, stepping aside in implicit invitation. Keith took it immediately, resting a hand on his chest, and Shiro glanced down at it, then up at his face.

“We almost lost you today.” Keith said, his voice low and intense, slightly rough.

Lena stretched up on her paws and tilted her head back, her muzzle sliding across Keith’s jacket. He froze. Lena pressed her jaw flat against his chest, getting her nose almost to Arvenne’s haunches. Arvenne stretched one hind leg down alongside Lena’s muzzle, then pulled it back and gathered herself, sliding down off Keith’s shoulders in an easy slink that took her to Lena’s back.

“Well, Lance is the one who wound up-” Shiro began.

“ _You_ , Shiro. We almost lost _you_! The Castle, the-” Keith let out a rough sound a little like a sob, turning away.

“Keith. . .” Shiro reached for his shoulder and Keith hunched, arms folding in over his chest defensively. He wasn’t pulling away, Shiro thought, he was just . . . hurting.

“I was trapped on the _wrong side_ of the barrier.” Keith said, and Shiro could feel the distress and comfort from his daemon as Lena gently nuzzled Arvenne and wrapped around her beside them. Trying to soothe her fretful upset as her tail lashed.

He took a little boldness from the way Arvenne curled into Lena with a tiny mew and moved closer, wrapping his arms around Keith, pressing snugly against his back. “We’re still here. All of us.” Shiro said comfortingly, lowering his head to rest his chin on Keith’s shoulder. “You reached us in time. Pidge acted in time.”

Keith shuddered in his arms, and Shiro glanced at their daemons again. Arvenne shivered and tipped her head up, delicately licking at Lena’s jaw, nuzzling through her shaggy fur, the warmth of the contact echoing through to Shiro. _She_ had saved him, them, first; Sendak had been about to crush Lena, lying stunned on the floor, when Arvenne had hurtled out of nowhere with a fierce snarl, knocking Sendak back, her claws finding purchase somehow on the chestpiece of his armour.

Arvenne was laughably, terrifyingly tiny compared to the Galra commander, but her powerful frame had come in at speed and Sendak had been taken by surprise. It had been enough to give Lena time to shake off the effects of his first blow and get clear, before Sendak managed to throw Arvenne off as well.

She’d landed better, rolling and keeping on her paws, retreating and staying close to Lena. It had been long minutes after that before Keith had charged in, and Shiro had been swept up in the chaos that had left Sendak trapped and the Castle theirs once more.

“You saved us twice over, at least.” Shiro said to them both, and Lena nuzzled Arvenne affectionately.

“If you hadn’t been there, even before the others. . .” Lena trailed off, resting the side of her muzzle across Arvenne’s shoulder, squeezing her a little.

“That’s why she ran ahead.” Keith said as he turned, pulling just out of Shiro’s arms, and looked down at their daemons, smiling slightly, eyes soft. “Even if we weren’t able to work together, _she_ could do something.”

“Ran ahead?” Shiro asked with a frisson of confusion, loosening his grip a little.

Keith shrugged and didn’t answer. “I got through before the particle barrier sealed.” Arvenne supplied in his stead.

“You _what_?” Shiro asked, feeling faint, his stomach twisting with sudden nausea.

“Arvenne is faster than me, and if I didn’t make it through myself I’d be useless on the outside until someone brought the barrier down - inside, there was a chance she could help.” Keith said, frowning slightly.

“So you _planned_ that?” Shiro asked hollowly.

“No.” Keith shook his head. “There wasn’t any time, anyway. Arvenne just made the choice on her own.”

“ _Arvenne!_ “ Lena said weakly, her legs splaying out a little. Shiro wavered on his feet, and Keith caught him by one arm, steadying him.

“If we’d had time, I would have made the same choice.” Keith told him, fingers squeezing tighter around his forearm. Lena whimpered, curling her trembling body tighter around Arvenne.

“That- That’s not. . . _Keith_ , you could have _died_!” Shiro tried not to shout, but the very _thought_. . . “You could have been _separated_ , you. . .” he trailed off with a pained whine.

“Your bond could have been ripped apart!” Lena picked up, nose pressed to Arvenne’s neck. “You would have been. . .”

“Our bond allows enough leeway for me to be useful inside the Castle even when Keith was trapped outside.” Arvenne said, shaking herself a little, though it was a subdued movement with her body tucked inside the protective curl of Lena’s.

“There’s still a limit!” Shiro said immediately, shaking his head in disbelief. No one would _do_ that, would _risk_ that - no one _rational_. “Even you can only stretch it so far!”

“We know.” Keith said, shaking his head slightly, looking _confused_. How could he look confused when- “We even know where the limit is, roughly.”

“Your daemon jumped onto a ship that was _leaving the planet without you_.” Shiro said, shaking Keith slightly by the shoulders, trying to beam it into his head how . . . insane that had been. “It doesn’t matter how far the limit is, if Pidge hadn’t stopped the launch that _would have broken it_.” Would have broken _you_ , he thought, his heart in his throat.

“ _You_ were on it.” Arvenne said softly, with a little chirrupy growl.

Lena shifted, stretching out to lie over her, pressing her nearly flat to the floor. “That,” Shiro said, fingers tightening on Keith’s shoulders, “is _not a reason_. You- What could have happened. . .”

“We could have lost you.” Keith said boldly, lifting his jaw.

“If I hadn’t been there, Sendak could have killed Lena. It would have been too late by the time anyone else got there.” Arvenne said, slightly muffled by Lena’s thick coat. She squirmed her front half a little more free and rubbed her head against Lena’s chest. “Rocío was not being any use, now was she?”

“Rocío is good at catching _fish_ , Arvenne.” Lena said gently, sighing. “It is what she was built for. Even if she had not been unconscious along with Lance, after his injury, I do not know that she could have helped if she _tried_.”

“You needed me.” Arvenne said flatly, cocking her head and flicking her tufted ears emphatically.

“What if you had _died_?” Shiro demanded, looking directly at Arvenne.

“What if _you_ had?” Keith countered, cupping his cheek and moving closer. “We lost you once and there was nothing we could do from Earth; we couldn’t even find what _happened_ to you. We are not losing you again.”

Shiro opened his mouth, then closed it. “You’re crazy.” Lena said, curling tighter around Arvenne, shuddering, pressing her ears flat against her head.

“You’re crazy and I-” Shiro broke off, with a mad flit of an idea of tethering Arvenne to Keith swirling through his mind. He wrapped his arms around Keith before he had quite realised he was moving.

Keith didn’t fight it, though, letting Shiro pull him close and going softer somehow in his embrace. Keith’s arms were tense and strong as they came around Shiro in return, though, and he rested his head against Shiro’s.

“ _Promise_ me you’ll never do something like that again, _please_.” Shiro begged into Keith’s hair, and Keith hugged him tighter.

“No.” Keith and Arvenne said at once. Shiro stifled a sob, his mind all too easily recreating the battle with Sendak, only this time as Arvenne circled near Lena, she suddenly stopped, stumbling, _screaming_ , with Lena stiffening and howling concern over her when she burst into golden sparkles of light as Keith died, far behind on Arus. “It was too fast, we didn’t have a chance to _think_ , but we’re _not_ letting you go, you can’t ask us not to try and protect you, Shiro.”

Shiro shuddered and clung tighter to Keith. “And you would ask me to watch you die, knowing it was because of me?”

Keith jumped, leaning back to look him in the eye without actually letting go of him. “I,” he paused, frowning, his storm-coloured eyes soft and almost confused, “would not want you to feel that way.” he said, and Shiro’s brows drew together. “We do not regret our actions often, Shiro. We wouldn’t regret today’s . . . no matter how things fell at the end.”

Shiro’s heart seized, and he struggled to swallow against the feeling like a blade lodged in his throat. He couldn’t manage any further words, any more than he could force himself to let go of Keith.

He didn’t pull away either, and when Shiro looked again, Arvenne had squirmed free only to press herself against Lena’s heart, head tucked against her neck. Lena lay one paw across her back, and Arvenne’s tail flicked, but she didn’t protest the hold. No more than Keith did, no matter how long Shiro and Lena held on to them.

“Stay.” Lena said, after a while, soft and pleading.

Arvenne gave a chirruping sound, curling up a little more snugly between Lena’s forelegs, and Keith pressed closer against Shiro for a moment. Assent without words or need for explanation.

Keith curled close easily in Shiro’s bunk, letting Shiro hold him and lightly stroking his ribs. A few low murmurs and then Lena and Arvenne leapt up to the foot of the bed - it had never been quite comfortable, sharing space with Lena at the Garrison, or worse, on ships, but the Altean beds had more space from head to foot than even Shiro’s long legs needed. The daemons curled around each other easily, and Shiro took a deep breath, watching Lena’s ‘alert’ pose and telling himself they were safe. He could sleep.

It still took some time for sleep to overtake him, and it was dark and uneasy when it did - tonight’s nightmares spiked with the sparking flare of a dying daemon, over and over, rather than the pink-purple glow of the Galra witch’s magic.

Shiro came close to waking several times, but each time the solid heat of Keith still lying across his arm, and Lena heavy near his feet, soothed him before sleep fully ceded its grip. When he finally did wake, it was to a nightmare no more intense than the others, but he shuddered at the accumulated images and despair of them.

He opened his eyes, the dim light showing Keith still sleeping peacefully at his side, and focused on Keith’s sharp, relaxed face. He didn’t move, taking deep breaths, trying to replace the nightmarish slideshow behind his eyes with Keith as he was here.

“Have you. . ?” Lena spoke very quietly, and Shiro frowned, trying to figure out if he’d missed something. He hadn’t even noticed _her_ noticing that he was awake, but he had been very focused and half in a daze.

“They’re idiots.” Arvenne replied, her voice soft and blurry with sleep. “They’ll,” Shiro heard a tiny yawn and the click of fangs, “figure it out.”

“I hope so.” Lena said, with a little snuffle. Shiro couldn’t see the daemons, but he could hear quiet shifting at the foot of the bed, and feel Lena’s shoulder press briefly more firmly against his foot.

Shiro sighed, wondering what they were talking about, but fell asleep once more before he could even begin to draw any conclusions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shiro shifted restlessly, unable to settle. Sendak’s voice echoed through his mind and he kept bolting upright to look around, breath coming too quick and heart pounding.

Every time he thought he had managed to clear out those foul echoes - Sendak was gone, Shiro had shunted him clear out of the Castle and he had _died in the emptiness of space_ \- flashes of the struggles with the tainted Castle replaced Sendak in Shiro’s mind - both what he had seen himself and what the others had told him.

An air lock trapping the unwary and opening to suck them out into space; one of the training Gladiators giving chase, murderous; Alfor’s hologram lashing out angrily; Allura, hazy and half-dreaming, guiding the Castle towards their doom.

Lena belly crawled over Shiro’s lap, her ribs pressing firmly against his thigh. “Just go find him.” she said as Shiro stroked her ears.

Shiro rubbed behind one of them. “What?” he asked, slow with exhaustion.

“Keith.” Lena said, nuzzling against his hip. “Even though it’s not _him_ ,” her soft whine encapsulated his panicky episodes and worries and their causes, “it will settle your mind to see him, won’t it?”

Shiro took a breath, then hesitated and let it out slowly without speaking. Lena stayed silent, but a moment later she pulled back to let him slide his feet to the floor and rise.

He swallowed nervously, padding out into the corridor with the muted clicking of Lena’s steps at his heels and making his way to Keith’s room. He knocked lightly, and the door opened after only a couple of breaths, startling him. Keith was tousle-headed but dressed in jeans and shirt, his knife in one hand. Shiro blinked.

“Shiro!” Keith said, lowering the knife and smiling. “Are- Is everything okay?” he asked, gaze sharpening, and Arvenne poked her head out into the corridor.

“I,” Shiro faltered, “couldn’t sleep. I wanted-” He didn’t know what he wanted. Just that Lena had been right - he already felt slightly more settled, just from Keith’s presence and his easy smile. Keith wasn’t afraid or angry, there wasn’t a threat. Shiro _knew_ that, but he trusted Keith’s senses maybe more than his own right now.

“Come in?” Keith invited, stepping aside, and Shiro followed him as though drawn on a string. “Can I help?” he offered, putting his knife on the bed and facing Shiro again, hands open.

Shiro licked his lips, Sendak’s voice echoing through his mind again.

“Shiro?” Keith said softly, resting a hand on his arm.

Shiro jerked under the touch, but caught Keith’s hand when he tried to pull back. “You do help. I mean, _you_ help, just by . . . being here. With me.”

Keith’s eyes widened, and Shiro looked away. Keith’s fingers brushed his face, and he looked up into a soft smile. “I’m glad.” Keith said quietly, thumb stroking over Shiro’s cheekbone. “I would do anything to help you.” He dropped his hand, taking a breath.

That wasn’t . . . a surprise, to Shiro. It should have been, but Keith had always _acted_ that way even if he had never said it outright before.

Shiro nodded shallowly. “I just don’t understand . . . why.” he admitted nervously, reaching out to squeeze Keith’s shoulder for just a moment.

“Because-” Keith hesitated, and Shiro saw Arvenne winding around his ankles, pushing firmly against him. “Do you really want to know?” he asked, something hidden and dark in his eyes.

Shiro was surprised. “Of course.” he said sincerely.

Keith took half a breath and pressed his lips together for a moment. “Because I love you.” he said simply, lifting his eyes to Shiro’s again.

Shiro’s eyes widened and his fingers twitched. “I-” His breath caught painfully.

“I didn’t know, I didn’t _realise_ ,” Keith said, shaking his head slightly, “I never felt- not for anyone else, but there never _was_ anyone else like you . . . no one who got close at all, not until,” he gestured at the Castle, perhaps encompassing the other Paladins, the Alteans, “it was just me and Arvenne, for so long, and then there was . . . you.”

Shiro’s heart hurt, as it always did when Keith said something, plainly or obliquely, about how lonely his life had been.

“I didn’t know that it was different, because there never _was_ anything . . . different.” Keith said, frowning slightly, his eyes sharp and intense, as though pleading with Shiro to understand. “But-” He flushed slightly. “I do care for others, now. Our team here . . . I would fight for every one of them. No one could ever be like _you_ , though, Shiro. I’m _in love_ with you. And I think. . .” he trailed off almost shyly.

Shiro swallowed, feeling a thick pressure blocking his throat. “I. . . You-” He looked down at Lena. She lowered her head and nudged her muzzle against his side encouragingly. Shiro’s heart throbbed and he looked back at Keith. “Getting . . . involved with me, with _us_ , it would be . . . a bad idea.” he said thickly.

Arvenne yowled, a quiet scraping sound underlying the protest. A glance told Shiro it was her claws on the floor. Lena whuffed softly.

“Getting involved with _me_ ,” Keith said, eyes narrowing, “ _befriending_ me like you did, was a bad idea, Shiro. You never gave up on that one,” his gaze softened and he reached up to brush Shiro’s face again, “why would you think I’d ever give up on you?”

Shiro felt as though he’d missed a step, his body jolting like gravity had unexpectedly asserted itself over him.

“Besides,” Keith’s lips quirked, “you seem to think that we have bad ideas all the time,” Arvenne snickered, leaping up to Lena’s back with a mutter Shiro couldn’t quite hear, “they seem to be working out so far, don’t you think?”

“This is-” Shiro reached for Lena, and froze, heart racing, when a small, tufted head pushed into his palm instead. Keith looked suddenly stricken, raising a hand to his chest, over his heart, shivering. “This is insane.” Shiro said weakly.

“Our lives were overrun by insanity over a year ago, Shiro.” Lena said gently, and Arvenne rubbed her jaw against Shiro’s hand. “Will you turn this down, when you already admitted you _need_ him so much?”

Shiro pulled his hand away, shaking, but only to extend it to Keith. Keith stepped into it, then closer. “We need _you_.” he said softly, and Shiro closed the rest of the distance between them, feeling it more than he’d ever done with Keith; being close to Keith had always felt . . . easy, natural.

“And we love you.” Lena said at his side, and then slid her forelegs down and wound her body against their legs, pushing. Shiro stumbled, Keith twisted, and Arvenne hissed a reprimand as they toppled onto the bed.

Keith pulled his arm, which had been pinned under Shiro, up free of Shiro’s shoulder with his knife held by the blade and a nick at the meat of his palm.

“That was careless.” Arvenne scolded, leaping off Lena and over Shiro’s head, landing on Keith’s pillow.

“Who keeps weaponry in their _bed_?” Lena protest, straightening.

“ _We_ do.” Arvenne sniffed.

“And we watched Keith put it down, Lena.” Shiro said, flushing and rubbing the back of his neck as he looked back at Keith. “Are you all right?” he asked.

Keith nodded, rubbing a smear of blood off the blade and sliding it into the sheath Arvenne scooped out from beneath his pillow for him. Shiro took his hand, clasping it between both of his own, and inspected the small gash in his palm. It was still bleeding, but sluggishly, and it didn’t look truly concerning.

Keith smiled slightly and curled his fingers inwards, pulling back a little. Shiro tugged at his hand - gently, from the wrist, so as not to aggravate the small hurt - to keep him from turning away.

“Keith?” Shiro asked, leaning over him.

Keith smiled slightly. “Shiro?”

Shiro ducked his head, smiling shyly. “I- I still think this is a bad idea, but I don’t . . . _want_ it to be. And,” he paused, biting his lip, “I love you too.” His heart soared as Keith’s face lit up. “May-” Shiro’s voice faltered, and he heard a soft, encouraging chirrupy purr behind him. “May I kiss you?” he asked.

Keith slid his uninjured hand over Shiro’s chest and to the top of his shoulder. “Yes, Shiro,” he laughed quietly and rubbed his thumb against Shiro’s neck, “and please.”

Shiro hesitated, and Keith tugged gently at him, with a soft pleading noise. Shiro bent, and Keith settled flat again, letting Shiro push over him, their lips meeting with a gentle, feathery brush. Keith sighed, nuzzling into the contact as Shiro slowly deepened the kiss.

Shiro moaned softly, and Keith kneaded the nape of his neck, holding him close and returning the carefully exploratory pressure.

“About time.” Lena said softly behind Shiro, sighing.

Arvenne chuckled and purred. “They’re slow.” she said fondly. “They got there.”

Then Shiro could feel a warm wave from inside - from Lena, from Lena’s contact with Arvenne and Keith and Arvenne’s pleasure in the touch - buoying up the happy warmth building from their kiss, and smiled against Keith’s mouth.

Keith stroked the back of his neck, nuzzling into the kiss with a soft, warm sound, and Shiro curled into him.

**Author's Note:**

> While Keith and Arvenne can roam farther from each other than maybe anyone fully human and their daemon, when Keith sleeps (or wakes) Arvenne is strongly pulled to do the same, perhaps only a little weaker than the average bond. Shiro and Lena once were the same, but they fought it for so long on the Galra ships (trying to always keep one of them alert to keep watch) that they no longer feel the pull so strongly.
> 
> Keith's daemon Arvenne is a caracal, and at almost fifty pounds is large but not record-breaking for one.  
> Caracals are fast runners (about 50mph) and can leap ten feet straight up from a standing start; this is how they hunt birds, and they can catch multiple birds in one jump. (They also hunt prey much larger than themselves, such as antelope.)
> 
> Shiro's daemon Lena is an Irish Wolfhound, known as 'the tallest dog', she's about 110 pounds and her head reaches his ribs when she stands on all four paws (and can reach almost seven feet tall when she stands on her hind legs).  
> Irish Wolfhounds are described by the Irish proverb: “Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked.”
> 
> (In case you wish to know, though they weren't really included in this, Lance's daemon Rocío is a sea otter - she's about 45 pounds and three feet tall - Hunk's daemon Hawea is a European badger - he's 60 pounds and three feet long - and Pidge's daemon Fiore (Fiorino) is a Eurasian magpie - he has a two-foot wingspan and weighs half a pound. Neither Alteans or Galra have daemons.)
> 
> Before I decided to keep it in season one, there was a scene beginning with this line:  
> Arvenne snarled in tandem with the asteroid-shaking snarl of the Red Lion, and Shiro’s heart skipped a beat.
> 
> I had so much more I wanted to write with this, from pre-Kerberos days all the way through, and with all of the Paladins. I may have to revisit the daemon AU concept.


End file.
